Nature abhors a vacuum; when a gap in “life” occurs (be it natural when lava from a volcano overflows a lush jungle environment in Hawaii and wipes out ALL life, or man-made like Chernobyl), there will be some forms of life that will recapture that space. Sure, it may take some time, but it happens (given other supporting factors like sun and water). Life is.
Americans are war weary, and being a (now) a military family (both sons being combat vets), it is clear the dangers and fears faced not only by those who are at the tip of the spear but also those keeping the home hearth going. But the question that Jeane Kirkpatrick asked remains: “Will anyone check that criminal? Should he just run rampant?“. I’m not saying that WE must be that limiting factor but I am saying that it will be important as to who that will that be? I see no other Western democracies stepping up to confront what I see is a long term existential threat (which Australia’s former army head said recently Australia needs to be ready for a 100 year war with radical Islam). And one will be needed, as this from The Corner reminds us:
Bernard Lewis, as you know, is one of the great scholars of our time. The dean of Middle East history. He is two years shy of his hundredth birthday. In addition to being a sage, he is a wit. On Friday, he uttered four words that pretty much sum up where we are — how civilization stands against barbarism:
“We cease, they fire.”
A truism – when we walk away, bad actors starting firing. Like it or not, have a ideological bent about this or not, have a reason pro or con (or not), it is. The question to ask next, and a very important one to boot is: who is? Who will be next? Obama has already deliberately determined that to diminish the US standing in the world, his actions are showing the world that the current World’s Policeman is going to sleep – mirroring his favorite sport, he’s shanking it into the woods. Mirroring his second favorite sport – he’s thrown up a jump ball and everyone surrounding the ball all have different uniforms on.
Thus, the world’s power structure has a vacuum. And Obama has created it.
It is.
